Of All The Hospitals…
by GriffinStar
Summary: A short story set about a year after the non Wedding at the end of S3. None of the themes from S4 have been incorporated, so there is no pregnancy story line and no Edith.


Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing except my imagination.

This short story is set about a year after the non Wedding at the end of S3. None of the themes from S4 have been incorporated, so there is no pregnancy story line and no Edith.

Of All The Hospitals...

Martin Ellingham sighed as he finished writing up his case notes for the operation that he'd completed earlier that day, and then put the folder in the tray ready for his secretary to process. It had been a very tricky procedure, a congenital arteriovenous malformation, and it had been touch and go at one stage. However the young girl had pulled through the operation, much to his relief and should now make a full recovery. He decided that he would call into the ward to check on his patient before finishing off the rest of his paperwork and research for the next operation. Perhaps if he was really tired tonight, he would manage to fall into a deep sleep, and not have his usual unsettling dreams that he seemed unable to escape from – of _her_. It had been over a year now, and despite leaving the village, despite taking on a new role as a consultant vascular surgeon in London - after undergoing humiliating therapy to overcome his blood phobia, he still dreamt about her every night, he still found himself thinking that he saw her everywhere. It had to stop, surely it would sometime soon, otherwise he would go insane. It was over, it had been ridiculous to ever think that they could marry and be happy. Breaking up had been for the best.

xXx

Louisa Glasson left her school on time for once, and made her way to the tube station. All day she'd been thinking and worrying about her pupil, Maisie Jones, she was undergoing surgery this morning. Poor kid had been born with a congenital malformation of an important artery. The doctors had told her father that there was nothing they could do, it was too risky to operate - that was until some fancy new surgeon had come out of retirement, and was prepared to operate on her. Maisie's Dad was a single parent who worked ridiculously long hours, in a job some distance away, so Louisa had offered to look in on Maisie after school as the hospital was on her way home. He couldn't take time off work because he didn't want to risk losing his job – he'd previously been unemployed for a long time. He was going to move nearer to the job next term and was moving Maisie to a new school, which Louisa was sad about, because quite a close bond had formed between them, maybe because Maisie reminded Louisa of herself as a child, being brought up by a lone father.

She hadn't been able to stick Holly's posh private school that she'd worked at when she'd first come to London for more than the first term. She found working with the underprivileged kids in her current school far more rewarding, and much more like her old school in Portwenn, which she missed dreadfully. That it was very demanding work was a blessing to her, because it meant that she had less time to think….about _him_. It would never have worked between them, she'd let her heart rule her head for far too long, and she just had to forget about him and look forward now. It wasn't meant to be between them. End of. Finished. There was nothing left to link them anymore.

xXx

"Everyone's signed your card Maisie, and drawn lots of lovely pictures for you. They all send their love and hope you get better soon," Louisa told the young girl as she lay there, still very drowsy and sleepy after the operation. She carried on talking as the nurse carried out her checks, thinking that the little girl would still like to hear her talking anyway. She looked so small and vulnerable lying in the big hospital bed, and her heart went out to her. "Your Dad will be in to see you a bit later, just as soon as he's finished his shift, and then it'll be the weekend and he can spend more time with you."

Martin stood frozen to the spot on the other side of the curtain that was drawn around the bed. There was no mistaking that beautiful Cornish burr, or her melodic voice …was there? No, it must be his mind playing tricks again, what the hell would _she _be doing here? Of course it wasn't her, for God's sake. He just had to pull himself together, and stop this nonsense for once and for all. So he firmly pulled the curtain back and reached for the patient notes.

Louisa looked up as the curtain swished back, and she saw a tall doctor dressed in scrubs reach for the patient notes at the end of the bed. She couldn't quite believe her eyes when she registered just who it was.

"Martin! What the hell …..I mean…how…" Louisa found that her mouth had suddenly gone dry, her heart was pounding in her chest, and it was a good job that she was sitting down. _He _was here.

Martin just stared at her. _She _was here. Louisa. His Louisa. Just hearing her say his name brought everything flooding back to him. How she felt in his arms, how soft her skin was… how wonderful it had been to make love to her…..all these months of trying to forget her undone in an instant.

The moment was shattered by a clatter as he dropped the clipboard of patient notes.

"I….errr….just came to check on my patient," Martin just about managed to say, as he bent down to pick up the clipboard.

"_You_….you did Maisie's operation? You're the surgeon that's come out of retirement?" Louisa asked him incredulously. Her mind was struggling to take this in. There had not been any communication between them since she'd left, she'd felt it was for the best to make a complete break between them. However, she had found out recently from a source in the village that he'd left Portwenn, but she'd had no idea that he'd come back to London to be a surgeon, her source had not told her that. He looked very different in his scrubs, instead of in his formal suit as he'd always been before. But his voice, his wonderful deep, sonorous voice immediately brought to mind his words '_Please Louisa_, _I can't bear to be without you' _She mentally shook herself - she had to stop this and pull herself together.

"That's correct. And err…your connection to this girl…..? Martin queried coolly. Actually he was a quivering wreck and his only way of coping was to revert to his medical persona, to hide all his personal feelings behind that front, because he had to carry on somehow. He busied himself checking Maisie so that he didn't have to look at Louisa.

"She's…umm…she's a pupil of mine, from my class, her Dad has only just started a new job after being unemployed for some time, so he couldn't leave work, but he's coming in later, so he asked me to look in on her on my way home. I don't mind, she's a great kid…." Louisa knew that she was burbling to cover up her awkwardness. He seemed cool as a cucumber, didn't seem bothered at all. Clearly he'd got over their break up a hell of a lot better than she had, he'd moved on to bigger and better things to become a top consultant again - she'd obviously been holding him back in his GP role when they'd been together.

"I see. Well, you'll be please to know that the operation was a success. Everything seems normal, so providing she gets through the next 24 hours without any problems, she should make a complete recovery. Perhaps you can pass this information on to the child's father, as you are obviously in contact with him," Martin told her, wondering with a strong pang of jealousy if there was any more to the relationship – why else would she come to the hospital, he couldn't imagine any teacher he'd ever had going out of their way to make a hospital visit. But of course it was none of his business if she'd managed to move on with her life in a way that he couldn't.

"Right, I'll let him know, I'm sure he'll want to thank you in person, for doing the operation, no one else would do it…" Louisa started to say.

"Just doing my job. No thanks required," Martin replied brusquely. Up to now he'd managed to avoid looking at her too closely, knowing the affect she always had on him, and he was already struggling to keep his feelings under control. However he looked up now, just as she did too, and he couldn't help it, he just stared at her, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was every bit as beautiful as he remembered, every bit as lovely as in his dreams.

Louisa couldn't help noticing him looking at her, but it seemed to her that he disapproved of what he saw, his face was so serious without a hint of a smile or any pleasure at seeing her again. What did she expect? Best just to get out of here then.

"Well I'll get on my way, I've done what I promised by checking on Maisie but as she's still very drowsy I won't stay any longer, I'm just in the nurse's way. Perhaps by the time her Dad comes later, she'll be more with it," Louisa said, standing up and gathering her things. As she'd come straight from school, she had a pile of books for marking in her bag, and in her haste to leave she managed to tip them out on the floor.

"Oh bugger!" she exclaimed as she now scrabbled round on the floor to pick them up. Martin bent down to help her, and their hands touched as they reached for the same book. They both felt the shot of electricity that passed between them. They stopped to look at each other, their faces were just inches away from each other. Suddenly Louisa found that she just couldn't help herself, she reached out and gently touched his cheek.

"Oh Martin, how are you?" she whispered tenderly.

"Louisa. You look…..tired. Have you had a blood test lately?" Martin blurted out. Hiding behind his doctors' role was the only way that he could stop himself from pulling her to him and kissing her.

Louisa snatched her hand back, stuffed all the books back in her bag as best she could, and stood up quickly.

"I'm fine Martin. Not your concern." And then she turned on her heel and walked out as Martin stared after her.

xXx

She'd gone. He'd done it again, he'd upset her and then let her walk away. He'd not shown her in any way how he really felt, he'd hidden his true feelings. But one thing he knew for sure. He wasn't over her at all, and he never would be.

Martin was spurred into action by the sudden horrible certainty that if he let her walk away from him now, he would never see her again. He ran out into the corridor, desperately searching for her, holding one of the school books in his hand that she'd left behind. He spotted her at the end of the corridor, and hurriedly made his way after her, calling out her name.

"Louisa, wait a minute, please."

Either she didn't hear him, or she ignored him, in any case she carried on walking.

"Louisa, wait…" Martin now ran down the corridor, pushing past several people in his desperation.

Finally he caught up with her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to face him. She looked down at the floor rather than at him, giving her a moment to regain her composure. He was _not _going to see her cry, not when he obviously had no feelings for her any more. She noticed the school book in his hand.

"Oh right, missed one did I? Thanks then," she snatched the book from his hand and made to walk off, but Martin kept hold of her arm to prevent her from leaving.

"Louisa. Please don't go. It's such a coincidence to meet like this, couldn't we…..ummm…..talk….catch up….maybe over a coffee?" He vaguely remembered seeing some sort of coffee shop near the main entrance, and glancing round saw it listed on the hospital direction board. He didn't know what else to suggest.

Louisa stopped and looked at him, more closely this time. The pale blue colour of his scrubs matched his light blue eyes, but when she looked closely into them, she saw that he looked tired, desperately tired in his eyes. Maybe he didn't sleep too well either. Or else he was just a very busy consultant surgeon. Well, he had come after her, that was something, she supposed. She sighed and then glanced at her watch.

"I suppose I've got time for a quick coffee. It is weird to think that with all the millions of people in London, we manage to bump into each other," she agreed finally.

Of course, when Martin went to pay for the coffee, he realised that as he was still in his scrubs, he didn't have his wallet on him, so Louisa had to pay. It broke the ice a little between them, as Louisa joked about it as he apologised.

"Ask a girl out and then sponge off her, what are you like?"

Finally they sat down together at a table in the corner, the quietest one that they could find.

Louisa decided to wait for him to start the conversation, as it was his idea to have coffee together. After a pause of a couple of minutes, Martin finally asked her,

"So, you're working at a school somewhere near here then?"

"Yes, St Gregory's, it's a bit rough and ready, but at least you feel as if you can really make a difference with the kids, unlike the brats at Holly's private school for spoilt little Madams," Louisa said with some feeling. She and Holly had not parted on very good terms.

"I see. Sounds …errr…challenging." There was another pause of a few minutes. Louisa wasn't making this easy for him, she was playing with her coffee, looking at the floor, anything but engage with him, look at him. She felt that she'd embarrassed herself earlier, when she'd reached out to touch his cheek. But he took the opportunity to look at her more closely now – and she did look tired.

"Umm. ….well obviously I'm working here at Imperial," he continued.

"Yes…how come? What about your 'blood thing'?" Louisa had to ask.

"Completed some ghastly therapy, did the trick though, and now I can function as a surgeon again. Should have done it years ago," he explained.

'_Then you wouldn't have ended up as a country GP, and we would never have met, would have saved us both a lot of heartache. No wonder you wish you'd done it years ago' _Louisa thought to herself.

Never one for making small talk, Martin was struggling to think of what he could say next. In the past, Louisa had always been the one making the effort to keep their conversation going, but now she wasn't bothering he nearly gave up. But her look, her voice when she'd gently touched his face just now gave him a glimmer of hope that maybe she still felt something for him. He realised that he loved her more than ever, and had to try to work something out with her, now that he'd been given this opportunity – but how? Sitting here in the hospital coffee shop wasn't exactly very inspiring.

"What are you doing at the weekend?" he blurted out.

"This weekend – I'm not really sure yet," Louisa hesitated.

"Well, seeing as you had to buy our coffee here, the least I can do is return the favour, and take you out to lunch….or dinner if you prefer….or both…..or cook you some dinner…at my place," Martin found he was burbling uncharacteristically.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea Martin. I mean I don't think we..…" Louisa didn't really know what to say.

"Oh I see, well if you already have plans…with someone else….." Martin suddenly realised that he couldn't just assume that she was single and free. It had been over a year now, and a beautiful woman like Louisa no doubt had plenty of admirers. What a fool he was for even thinking that she might let him back into her life.

"No, no…it's not that. But I don't know that I want to …..go back…..it's taken a long time….." she tried to explain.

"Yes, I know, but please, just think about it Louisa. I would…like to see you again….very much," Martin pleaded, taking her hand in his.

"Look I have to go now, I'll think about it," Louisa said, reluctantly extracting her hand from his grasp, and standing up to go. She needed space to think, it was such a shock to see him like this so unexpectedly.

"Please, just agree to see me at the weekend, if you don't want to see me again after that, I promise I'll leave you alone, but please just say you'll meet me," Martin was desperate not to let her go without some sort of arrangement to meet up, he could feel her slipping away from him again. This was like a reprieve that had been sent to him, like a tiny chink of light in the never ending darkness that was his life whenever he dared to look to the future.

Louisa looked at him in disbelief. Martin, practically begging to see her again. She found that she didn't have the heart to say no.

"I was planning to visit the latest exhibition at the Tate Modern on Saturday morning. I know it's not really your kind of thing, but if you're serious about meeting up, be there outside the main entrance at 11am, and maybe we could have lunch afterwards." Then she walked out of the coffee bar, not sure if she had just made a huge mistake in agreeing to see him.

"I'll be there" Martin called after her, feeling almost light-headed with relief that she had agreed to meet him. Come hell or high water, this was one date that he was _not _going to miss.

xXx

Louisa sat up and pulled the duvet around her self-consciously as she remembered where she was. In Martin's bed. How the hell had this happened? She looked over at him, still fast asleep. She needed time to think, to get her head around everything that had happened the day before. She tried to ease herself out of bed as quietly as she could, but suddenly Martin was awake, sensing her movement.

"You're not sneaking off are you?" he said, echoing her thoughts from their very first time together in bed in her cottage.

"I need time to think Martin, this is all so sudden," Louisa covered herself up again, all too aware that she was completely naked under the duvet. Their clothes were scattered all over the floor where they'd been hastily discarded the night before. Being tidy had been the last thing on their minds.

"What is there to think about? Surely you don't regret last night, you can't tell me that we aren't good together."

Martin reached out for her, needing to feel her in his arms again, to prove that she was really here, and that it wasn't one of his awful dreams, where he reached out to find an empty space next to him.

xXx

The day before, they'd had a wonderful day together. He arrived over an hour early to meet her at the art gallery, not wanting to take the chance of being late, and her thinking that he'd stood her up. He'd already decided that if she didn't turn up today, he would track her down at the school she'd told him she worked at, because he knew that he couldn't let her go again without trying to work things out between them - but much to his relief she did turn up. They wandered round the art gallery together, not always agreeing on their opinions of the exhibits, but enjoying the debate. After a leisurely lunch, they walked along the Embankment, before she came back to his flat with him, where he cooked them a meal.

As they cleared up together afterwards, Martin couldn't stop himself from kissing her exposed neck under her pony tail as he stood behind her. When she didn't object, he continued, softly kissing her neck and ears, sliding his hands around her waist to pull her to him, closing his eyes and revelling in the sensation of her soft skin, her silky hair, and her tiny waist in his hands. He just wanted to breathe in the smell of her, it was like an intoxicating drug, and he could feel himself becoming instantly addicted to it.

Despite the fact that Louisa had vowed to herself _not _to let anything physical happen between them as it would only complicate things, she found that she just couldn't help herself. She turned round and reached up to put her hands around his neck, and pulled him to her to kiss him back. They started kissing then with an intensity that came from the depth of the feelings that they had both tried to keep in check, but now found themselves unable to deny any longer.

"Oh Louisa, I love you, I love you so much," Martin found himself whispering into her ear, his fear of losing her again pushing him to overcome his natural reticence in declaring his feelings.

"Martin, I love you too, but….." her objections were lost as he covered her mouth with his to silence her. She gave up then, and stopped fighting the magnetism between them, kissing him back with a passion to match his. Encouraged by her response, Martin ran his hand down from her waist, over the curve of her hip, and then carried on down the length of her thigh. Louisa needed to touch him, to feel his skin, so she pulled his tie undone, and started unbuttoning his shirt so that she could slide her hand inside. Martin groaned at her touch, and as they kissed again, he lifted her onto the worktop in the kitchen to bring her up to his height. Louisa wrapped her legs around him to pull him closer to her as he ran his hands under her blouse to caress her breasts. Now kissing and grazing her neck, he grabbed her hips and lifted her up as she gripped him with her legs and clung to his neck, as he carried her the short distance to his bedroom, where they fell together on the bed.

By now all the sexual tension that had been building all day between them, all the yearning for each other over the past months, erupted as they furiously tore each others clothes off, past caring if they got damaged in the process. They were beyond reason, beyond logic as they finally consummated their passion, joining together in a fast, furious act of lovemaking, both calling out as they clung together to climax, riding out the waves of pleasure that swept over them, until finally they collapsed exhausted, but sated, onto the bed.

After a few minutes of them both just lying there, getting their breath back and recovering, Martin managed to say,

"I'm sorry, I should never have lost control like that, I should never have….made love to you…..without protection."

Now that his brain was functioning slightly more normally, he couldn't quite believe what had just happened. Yet it didn't feel wrong, how could anything so perfect with her be wrong?

"We just got carried away, Martin. It happens, especially when…you know, in extreme situations…it's been over a year after all."

Louisa tried to make sense of it, not quite sure herself how it had come about. She'd never let herself lose control like that before, even on their first night together they had managed to stop to find a condom. But this experience with Martin had been so exciting, so wildly erotic. It made her feel alive in a way that she wouldn't have dreamt possible just a few short hours ago. She was glowing, and her skin was still tingling from his touch, from the sensations that he had provoked.

"I'll write you a prescription for Levonelle – the morning after pill. It's very effective if taken as soon as possible, and has very few side effects," Martin told her gruffly, trying now to be sensible and rational, to come back down to earth. At least his GP experience was proving useful.

"Ok then, no harm done is there Martin?" Louisa reassured him. "Right, can I use your shower now do you think?" She looked around for where it was, she not only wanted to shower, she needed a little privacy to sort out her feelings, she was so confused.

"It's just there, towels are in the cupboard, help yourself," Martin pointed at the door to his ensuite bathroom, and watched as she quickly disappeared in there. A slow smile spread over his face as he relived what had just passed between them in his mind. It hadn't been planned, it had just happened, but Martin found that he had no regrets whatsoever, even if he would now have to write her a prescription for the morning after pill, of which he normally strongly disapproved. He'd always believed that when it came to having sex, people should either be properly prepared with precautions, or exercise self control – well, they'd failed on both counts. But he didn't care.

xXx

As the steaming hot water of the shower hit her body, Louisa was suddenly hit by a wave of tiredness – she hadn't slept very well at all the previous night, she'd been worrying about meeting up with Martin. She decided that she would have to talk to him after her shower, but then she would make her way back to her own flat, where she could try to make some sense out of everything. She thought that she would treat herself to a taxi rather than go on the tube, she would ask Martin to ring for one for her.

When she came out with a towel wrapped round her, Martin disappeared to take his turn in the shower. Louisa sat on the edge of the bed – it looked so soft and inviting, so she let her damp towel fall to the floor, and slid into the bed to wait for him so that they could talk before she left. But when Martin came out after his shower, he saw that Louisa had fallen asleep in his bed, her dark silky hair that he loved so much spread out over the pillow. He smiled, and decided not to disturb her as he quietly slipped into bed next to her, tenderly kissed her head, and then switched off the bed side light. He slept soundly for the first time in months.

xXx

"We may well be good together in bed...but…it's complicated," Louisa tried to explain to him the following morning, feeling rather exposed and awkward, naked as she was in bed with him, trying to explain her reservations. She couldn't help smiling to herself though. There was no doubt that the chemistry between them was stronger than ever, the sex had been amazing, and it was taking a lot of self control not to melt into his arms, and start making love again.

"It's not complicated at all Louisa. We're back together. By some miracle we've found each other again, and I'm never letting you out of my life again - ever." To prove his point, he gave her a big bear hug and started kissing her neck gently.

"Stop it Martin! The fact that we're so good together in bed is part of the problem."

"I'm afraid you've lost me now, how can being so good together be bad?"

"I can't think properly when I'm in bed with you, and I need to think things through."

"So you're saying that sex with me is so good that you can't think straight," Martin couldn't help but smile at this.

"If you want to put it like that, I suppose so," Louisa agreed, smiling ruefully.

"You're making problems exist where there aren't any. We're both here in London, we can easily meet up to fit around our jobs, so I don't see why you're so worried," Martin tried to convince her.

"I haven't told you everything, there's something else you should know," Louisa confessed.

Martin immediately assumed that the 'something else' was another man. He should have known, just as he thought before, she was far too wonderful a woman not to have been snapped up by some other man.

"Who is he then?" he growled at her, immediately consumed by jealousy.

"No Martin, it's not another man, I haven't been remotely interested in anyone else," Louisa assured him. She didn't tell him that she'd been asked out several times by one of the other teachers at her school, but had always politely declined – she wasn't anywhere near ready to start a new romance, not while she hadn't been able to get Martin out of her head, even if it had been over a year since they'd broken up.

"Well what is it then?" Martin was relieved but puzzled.

"I've been here for over a year now, and I've realised that London life just isn't for me, it's not where I want to spend the rest of my life. I miss Cornwall too much and I desperately want to go back. So when I got a phone call a few weeks back from Stu Mackenzie on behalf of the Governors of Portwenn School, asking if I would possibly consider returning as Head Teacher, I accepted straight away. I start there at the beginning of next term."

Stu had dropped into the conversation the fact that Doctor Ellingham was no longer the GP in Portwenn, as he'd felt that might help to influence her decision to return, if she knew that she wouldn't be running the risk of bumping into him in the village.

"So you see, it can't possibly work between us, with me in Cornwall, and you here in London. That's why it's complicated Martin. You've got back the job you love as a Surgeon in London, and I've got back the job I love as Head Teacher in Cornwall. We're not compatible in every day life, even if we are compatible in bed."

Louisa turned to study his face, to see his reaction, expecting him to be upset and disappointed. But instead he was smiling broadly. He looked so much younger when he smiled.

"It's not funny Martin. I need to think and see if I could possibly consider staying in London with you, but then if I hate it here, I'll be miserable and then I'll make you miserable, but you've got your top consultants job doing such wonderful work like the operation on little Maisie, you can't leave your job….so you see Martin, it's impossible really. I should never have agreed to meet you, it wasn't fair on either of us," she finished speaking with a huge sigh, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"It's not complicated at all Louisa. I took the surgeons job at Imperial on a short term, six month contract, and this flat is only rented, because I wasn't sure that I really wanted to come back to London for good. I've only got two months left of my contract to run. Of course since I found out that you were here, I thought that I _would _stay. But if you're leaving, so shall I, I shall look for a post in Cornwall."

"But your work here in London is so important, you can't just leave it," Louisa was shocked.

"Don't the people of Cornwall deserve a skilled surgeon in your opinion then?" Martin asked.

"Well yes I suppose so, but ….." Louisa still couldn't imagine Martin leaving behind his prestigious role at a top London hospital because of her.

"There are no 'buts'. We are compatible in _every _way," Martin was determined that he would win her over, whatever it took, whatever changes he had to make to his life. He wasn't a religious man, but on this occasion he thanked God for somehow managing to arrange for their lives to have converged in this way. It was nothing short of a miracle when he considered the odds against it.

Finally, Louisa started to let herself relax, and get used to the idea that she and Martin were back together.

"So if I hadn't gone to the hospital to visit Maisie…or if you hadn't decided to check on your patient at the same time….. we wouldn't be here, together, in your bed," Louisa mused. She still couldn't quite believe it.

"_Of all the hospitals in all the towns in all the world, she walked into mine_" Martin quoted at her.

"I never had you down as a film buff, Martin," Louisa told him, surprised that he could quote Humphrey Bogart to her.

"Ah well you see, there's a lot about me you don't know," he replied. Actually he had an amazing memory for all sorts of trivia, mainly medical facts but other information too.

"I think that maybe I'm going to enjoy finding out then, aren't I? You can start by telling me your favourite …" she whispered her question in his ear.

"Oh that's an easy one. I can demonstrate that one to you right now," he replied as he pulled her to him and started kissing her.


End file.
